ATLANTA (AP) -- David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox were in desperate need of a big hit.

On Monday, at long last, Big Papi delivered.

Ortiz homered and drove in four runs as the defending World Series champions ended their 10-game losing streak, rallying from a five-run deficit to defeat the Atlanta Braves, 8-6.

"It's been too long since we last shook hands following a win," manager John Farrell.

Farrell called it "a total team win," then pointed to the two powerful bats in the middle of the lineup -- Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia.

Pedroia hit a two-run single before Ortiz tied the game with a three-run homer off Ervin Santana in the fifth inning.

With Red Sox fans at Turner Field chanting "Papi! Papi!" Ortiz then gave Boston the lead with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly off Ian Thomas (1-2) in the seventh.

"It seems like every big situation we need him, he came through for us," Pedroia said of Ortiz, the World Series MVP last October.

Ortiz hit only .118 with no RBIs in Boston's longest losing streak in 20 years, but that didn't dim his star appeal to Red Sox Nation South. The roar following Ortiz's homer startled A.J. Pierzynski, who was waiting on deck.

"When David hit that homer, that was probably the loudest cheer as a visitor I've ever heard, especially since I was on deck and sort of got the full force of it," Pierzynski said.

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"It was one of the loudest moments I can remember in any stadium."

The Red Sox trailed 6-1 after the fourth, with starter Clay Buchholz walking a career-high eight in only three-plus innings.

Buchholz has a 7.02 ERA after allowing six runs, and Farrell said "there's no determination" about the right-hander making his next start.

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